Show U S embassies are always kept busy gossipy folks from home and cranks take up lots of time london 1 I m awfully sorry the ambassador Is away 1 I cant tell you how sorry I 1 am that the embassy arrange an audience for you with the king we are sorry but the office of works will not permit you to climb the dock over the bouse of parliament these and fifty or more stock phrase are kept constantly on tap during the summer rush of the american tourist season in europe for dur ing the rush season thousands of americans crowd the american embassy here demanding ever thing from an immediate audience with king george or the prince of wales to the securing of authority to climb the exterior of the clock tower of westminster palace or westminster abbey practically everyone who visits europe from the united states desires to visit one of the embassies or legations of bis own country to the in london by virtue of its central position and rank in europe come most people it has been estimated that telephone calls to the embassy here by people who have no actuel business to transact but only want to hear an american voice again average more than fifty a day each taking a precious five or ten minutes time of a busy secretary or embassy worries of U S officials it telephone callers were alie least trouble the life of an american embassy or legation abroad bould be a continuous path of roses but it 1 not for the callers who present them selves with passports letters from friendly congressmen introductions from friends in the department of state at washington and a thousand others who feel that their names must be well known over there are the chief worries of the american government 8 foreign representatives the callers at the american ambas during twenty minutes here recently included an associate justice of the supreme court who occupied 45 minutes of the ambassador amb issador s time small town politics while another for eign ambassador cooled his heels in n anteroom wilting for the ambas long after ahli appointment time 1 holder of a minor office in the department part ment of education of the state of new york who wanted the embassy to arrange a tour around angland for a middle glee club which he assured alie embassy wis w is the best in te states and seventeen people clamoring for the two tickets to the gallery of alie house of commons which die embassy la dally allotted up to the secretaries those whose cards or credentials do abot establish them as sufficiently prominent to warrant a session for iven small town talk with a busy ambassador bas are shunted off on some un suspecting secretary or counsellor choso whoso duty it Is to sit from one halt to three quarters of an hour hearing how famous tle visitor from home Is and all about the trip which has either already been taken around europe or Is to be taken in an anteroom of the american embassy here Is a man who Is far more busy than any diplomat in the embassy his name Is thomas smith formerly the courier of the diplomatic pouch between berlin and london before the united states entered the war having been under fire many times while going through the lines between the two great opposing capitals during the war smith has long since become customer cus tomed to being un der fire of ranks who write long letters to their home town congressmen or even to the state department pro testing the slights and discourteous treatment received at the american embassy in london smiths job difficult smiths position Is not an easy one for upon his hands fall all of the vis igors at the embassy some a rare few have legitimate business to transact the others hive a thousand petty wants and complaints which must be cared for by a small embassy staff each however must be prokep ly cared for and sent away with the impression that he was the most am person who called that day the casual tourist who wishes merely to return home and tell the folks how he billed upon the ambassador somewhere in europe Is not the only pest who takes the embassy attaches from work on long and tedious reports for the crank who enters the embassy with his hat pulled down over hia eyes and a wise look on his fac may take hours before he Is gotten rid of this latter person usually demand to see the ambassador immediately oa a subject ot yeat national importance frequently he confides to th doorman that bo Is next to some am and astounding information As Is the case with all others he see some secretary or in the embassy his tale Is a long and tedious one his story Is usually so absurd that it Is seldom investigated ahil investigations of the informant have frequently shown him to be a maniac and in a number of cases these per bons eons have proven to be escaped con evicts who have become demented wity the constant fear of tee police follow ing them where they gw information in some cases their information Is picked up in saloons and flavored with sufficient imagination to make the story one which they feel the amer lean government would surely be interested te in one of the worst fears of a foreign embassy or legation Is tor the petty politician the attorney general from podunk or the state legislator from some remote spot although position may be small or even laughable to a foreign dignitary he inevitably wants to be presented at the palace or expects at least to lunch with the ambassador bas it has frequently been found that this type of man actually prefers to be slighted so that he may leave the embassy or legation with great gusto declaring that he will write about it to the president and secretary of state he frequently does and through the aid of some congressmen congress min who little realizes the problems of those stationed abroad causes some unsuspecting secretary much trouble and frequently a shift to another post |